10 Favorite New (to Me) Characters of 2015 (and Fabulous Fanart)

Happy Christmas Eve Everyone! I hope you are all getting some time off/rest or family time :)
I have been working almost nonstop, so I haven't gotten around to those year end posts I wanted to do, but I am trying to squeeze a few in before -- gulp -- next year.

As much as I hate to admit it, 2016 is right around the corner. 2015 was a pretty good year for reading and writing, and I started off the year-end posts last week with my Top 10 Favorite Reads of 2015. Today, I'm back with another list (because I love them).

If you ask me my favorite character (in books, movies, tv, etc), I usually can't answer. Unless it's the original Star Wars (Han Solo is the best. Period). And naturally, I acquire new favorites every year!*

So here is a list of my top 10 *new* favorite characters that I discovered in 2015, along with why I liked them so much, and cool art of each character. 

(All art belongs to the respective copyright holder, and sources are linked. This blog is strictly non-profit, and all known sources are credited.)

1. Ken (Kaneki) - Tokyo Ghoul (Ishida Sui) Manga + Anime

Official art Copyright Ishida Sui

Where do I even start? All that bookish, quiet, adorable college student Ken wanted to to do was go on a date. Instead, he gets turned into a literal monster and the world goes to hell in a hand-basket. That's basically the story of Tokyo Ghoul.

Ken's story is not for the faint of heart - not only is Tokyo Ghoul quite violent - Ken himself has a downward spiral arc that rivals a Victorian melodrama, as he fights to retain his humanity in a brutal, bloody world. Think of anything bad that has happened to a character - and Kaneki has probably had something worse happen to him. Still, his fight to survive (physically, mentally, and spiritually) makes him an incredibly compelling character. And in case you couldn't tell from the cover art, Ishida Sui's art is fantastic. His style is so dreamy and beautiful, it just adds a layer of horror to the story. Tokyo Ghoul has spawned some incredible fanart as well, such as the gif of Ken's transformation below.

Copyright 量産型 source pixiv.net

2. Kaz Brekker (and Inej!) from Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Official art by Kevin Wada

Six of Crows was one of those books that you read more for the plot than the characters, in my humble opinion, but that didn't stop me from loving Kaz and Inej. Kaz slightly edges Inej out, because I'd rather read a solo novel about him, but they are a pair of characters that are better together. And they really do make a great pair, with her skills and sense of honor, and his schemes and, well, drive to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Sort of like a criminal Batman and Alfred, if the roles were a bit reversed.
Anyhow, this was one with a lot of cool fanart, so I had to post a couple of my favorites.

Love this one! It's so atmospheric and eerie. Art Source -Copyright Waricka @ Metempsychosis

Fantastic depictions of Kaz and Inej by Gillian @ The Art of Young Adult  

3. Yael from Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

I know, I know, I have been like a song on repeat about this book, but I really loved it! One of the main reasons was definitely the strong heroine, Yael. She's Jewish, a "victim" of Nazi experiments, and absolutely awesome. Here's what I had to say about her earlier this year:

"I loved Yael so much. A little Winter Soldier and all survivor, she was sympathetic, hardcore, and brave. She (understandably) had a hard time trusting others, but she wasn't afraid to love or feel for the people in her past. She wanted to think well of people, and she put her mission ahead of her own interests." 5 star review, Wolf by Wolf

Sadly, I have yet to see any fanart (I'll have to draw some, I suppose). But Ryan Graudin has a cool Pin-spiration board for it here. And did I mention motorcycle racing??

Image: Roland Sand - Source

4. Rey (and Finn) from Star Wars: The Force Awakens

No spoilers here - but it is safe to say that when I first saw Star Wars: A New Hope (I was 7), it rocked my world. Han was my favorite (see above), but if Rey had been in that movie, I might have changed my mind. She is the SW movie character I've been waiting for. Fiery but not stereotypical - tough, relatable, and practical, and with a sense of humor, Rey was just the sort of strong female lead I was wanting to see (and Daisy Ridley's performance was top notch). I will happily follow her adventures in the next few films. (I also loved Finn - he was cheeky and so lovable, but Rey people)

5. Maven from The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Image Credit: wrathful-deity.tumblr.com

I really enjoyed The Red Queen - it was just the right mixture of action, intrigue, and superpowers. Like an X-Men movie, none of it paved new ground, but I was surprised by how much I liked Mare, Maven, and Cal's interactions. Normally I despise love triangles, but this wasn't *really* a love triangle at all. Instead, it's a complex and dangerous relationship between three people, one of whom is an outsider in every way (Mare). Maven and Cal were actually more interesting to me (their brother dynamic, you know), especially Maven. In some ways, he's that character I always love - the neglected younger son who is desperate for his father's approval and overshadowed by his "perfect" brother. However, he was also willing to give up everything and go all the way to get what he wanted. Add that to his considerable brains and sharp wits, and you have a character that I get very invested in.

This fantastic piece is by allarica on deviantart.com

Surprisingly, there is not very much Maven art.** He tends to draw the Loki crowd, so he has plenty of fans, but . . .

6. Sakurako from Beautiful Bones (Sakurako-san no Ashimoto ni wa Shitai ga Umatteiru) - Anime

This is a gorgeous anime, by the way.

Sakurako (Kujo) is a brilliant but eccentric osteologist who is generally more interested in bones than people. Using her knowledge of bones, her experience as the niece of a forensic scientist, and her own considerable powers of observation, she solves mysteries somewhat on a whim. Aided by a high-school student, Shotaro (the Watson to her Holmes) who incidentally helps Sakurako with normal social interaction, and helps her out of scrapes. Sakurako is hilarious, and the dynamic between her and the empathetic, gentle Shotaro really makes the show.

Hitomi as envisioned by Porotto

7. and 8. - Hitomi and Val from Sunbolt by Intisar Khanani

Sadly, there really isn't ANY fanart for Sunbolt.*** Intisar Khanani has a great Pinterest inspiration board here.

Anyhow, I love both of these characters so much that they get their own numbers :)

It's sort of spoilery to say anything about why I love Val (all you need to know is that he is A. A Breather****, B. An actual threat, and C. Awesome.)

Hitomi, our young heroine, is a racial + cultural outcast with hidden abilities and a lot of spunk. She's flawed and real, but still cool. The one piece of fan art I managed to fine captured her attitude pretty well. The second picture is a stock photo that kind of evokes her description. You'll have to read the book to find out what Val looks like . . .

9. Utsuho from Itsuwaribito by Iinuma Yuuki (manga)

Azako Utsuho by Saiyuri-Taiyou on DeviantArt

Another strangely dark yet comic manga - Itsuwaribito has an extremely sketchy protagonist (Utsuho) who aims to help people by lying. Sound curious? It is. Utsuho is one of the most enigmatic characters I've come across - you really can't trust anything he says!  You don't know where he stands, or if he really stands anywhere (he has a bit in common with Kaz - see #2), and he can be downright scary. Still, Utsuho is hilarious, and his interactions with the uptight Doctor Yakuma are golden.

Itsuwaribito Utsuho by WiiWiipyon on DeviantArt.com

10. Vin (and Kelsier) from Mistborn

Mistborn: Vin and Kelsier by Shilesque on DeviantArt.com

These two kind of have a master-apprentice meets father-daughter relationship. I loved everything about it, and them. Vin was another strong heroine who was a joy to read about. Feisty, smart, a survivor, and a Mistborn, Vin is the sort of character who could have easily been annoying. Instead, she was nuanced and believable, and I can't wait to read more about her (soon!)

Vin by sgfw on deviantart.com

Honorable Mentions: I was trying to keep this list strictly to characters I was completely unaware of until this year, however, there are a few that deserve a side note. 

1. Levi Ackerman. While I first read some Attack on Titan/SnK last year, I didn't read the spinoff No Regrets series until a few months ago. It centers on Levi pre-AOT, and it made me love (and appreciate) Levi even more.

2. Everyone in Naruto (well, except Madara). Similarly, I was familiar with the very large group of characters that make up Naruto, but I grew much more attached to them all once I read the whole series end to end! Also, the "new Team 7" in Boruto were pretty adorable.

3. Foggy Nelson. I also loved Foggy in the Netflix Daredevil. To be honest, I'd never really cared about him either way (though I like Daredevil [comics!] a lot), but the Netflix series changed that! Matt and Foggy's friendship really pulled my heartstrings, and it was a highlight of the show.

4. Agent Peggy Carter. I always liked Peggy, but she didn't really stand out to me. The tv series Agent Carter made me love her. From her banter with Jarvis, to her determination to live as her own woman in a "man's world," I can't wait to see more of her. Season 2 is soon!

Did you discover any new favorite characters this year? Who were they, and why did you like them? Are you familiar with any of the ones on my list?

Footnotes:
*I even started a board on Pinterest for them. My lists were too long, :P
**Most of the stuff I found . . . did not look like Maven's description. It looked like Justin Bieber (?)
***Maybe that should be my Christmas project?
****Read the book.

TTT: Top Ten Author Dream Teams (And What They Should Write)

So, I had this all set up to write Tuesday - and then I some friends and I decided to go to the Extended Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies instead . . . *more on that in the footnotes. And then Wednesday happened and I was training a new employee, so nothing happened on the blog. But I'll pretend it's still Tuesday and finish this because it's fun! (For info on TTT & The Broke and the Bookish, click here)

Image Credit

So this week's theme was Top 10 Author Duos we'd like to see (write a book, obviously). But since this is something I think about all the time, I also have exactly the type of novel I'd like them to write together!

My Top 10 Author Dream Teams (and What They Should Write:

This is one of my pet ideas. Eoin Colfer's snark and Neil Gaiman's humorous gravity would be a perfect match. I'd want them to write a creepy steampunk novel with tons of gadgets and a mysterious underworld. And naturally, a young protagonist. Think the Graveyard Book meets + Neverwhere + Artemis Fowl.

They're a pair of fangirls who aren't afraid of the indulgently awesome, or just the indulgent. And they both are surprisingly good at writing lovable male characters (it goes without saying that they're good at girls). And they both have this Asian fusion vibe. I think they could do a great cyberpunk/science fantasy novel - think Samurai 7 + Lunar Chronicles + The Iron Fey. 

This inspired idea came to me a while back, when I was reading one of the final volumes of Naruto. Maberry and Kishimoto have similar strengths and interests: young male protagonists, brotherly love, courage, honor, and of course-traditional Japanese culture. I want them to write a graphic novel arc about ninjas versus samurai set after some sort of apocalyptic event (past or future doesn't matter to me). They'd have to use a translator (that would be a fun job!!), but it would be awesome. The Last of Us + Naruto + The Matrix + Lord of the Flies. I dare you to tell me this wouldn't be epic . . .

They even know each other, so I think this could be arranged. I want them to do a series of obscure Grimm's fairytale rewrites, focusing on sibling relationships. It would play to their strengths as authors and I think their writing styles would mesh well. Think Princess of the Midnight Ball + Fablehaven + Once Upon a Time. And if anyone could retell The Marsh King's Daughter, it might be these two.

After reading Six of Crows, I really want to see one of Leigh Bardugo's worlds. I also think her knack for morally ambiguous but lovable characters would be awesome in a manga. So I'd bring in mangaka Matsuri Hino. Her scenery and settings are gorgeous (and her people are too!), and I think she has a visual style** that would really amplify Bardugo's imagination. I'd want to see them do an intense graphic novel arc that involves thieves and monsters and magic. So think Six of Crows + Vampire Knight + Catch Me if You Can.

I feel like the vampire/monster thing has been really overdone. But if anyone could write the ultimate vampire hunter book, it's these two. I'm envisioning Hellsing + Written in Red + Blade + Dresden Files. The pages might not be able to handle the cool.

Regency Romance! They're both splendid at manners comedies, but the have the depth and gravity to save it from being a total fluff-fest. It would be sweet and accurate and sincere, and hilarious. I'm picturing a charming story that is also a mystery, so Northanger Abbey + Sorcery and Cecelia + Newt's Emerald.

I want these two to write a classic-style sci-fi novel. Both are strong story/action novelists, and I feel like they would complement each other as writers. Card is better at endings and writing male characters, and Collins is better at action. They've both written for film/TV too, so they know how to structure a story well and work with other writers. I'm envisioning Star Trek + Lost in Space + The Martian + Hunger Games.

Two more authors who have experience with co-authoring books, I feel like their styles/themes/characters could be very complementary. I'm thinking an epic hardcore fantasy, but set in a Middle Eastern and/or Persian Folklore inspired world. It would have a large cast of complex characters and a beautifully described landscape. Arabian Nights + Prince of Persia + Mistborn + The Blue Sword.

With a knack for the gothic sort of creepy, and a predisposition to humor and fun characters, I think these two could write a great old fashioned horror/thriller/mystery meets video game story. Maybe characters get their minds stuck in a historical haunted house game, or something like that? Nancy Drew  + Heir Apparent + Lockwood & Co. + Supernatural sounds like a good mix to me.

So what do you think of these pairings? Do you have an author "dream team?" If you do, what sort of book would you like them to write?

Footnotes:

*Weeeelll, BotFA Extended was better than the Theatrical release, I'll give it that. There was actually a funeral for the Sons of Durin, and Thorin had the Arkenstone, like he was supposed to. There were also some more delightful sassy-Thranduil moments. And a ridiculous (but vaguely funny) cart that decapitated trolls . . . I really don't know how I felt about it. In my opinion, the Extended Desolation of Smaug is the best of three (even with the incredibly boring and pointless Smaug-Dwarf-Dragon chase on the end).

**

Image Copyright Matsuri Hino/Viz Media - Shuriken to Pleats

Above and Below Images Copyright Matsuri Hino/Viz Media - Vampire Knight

Tell me you don't want to see one of Leigh Bardugo's worlds drawn like this ;

ArtPrize Adventures 2015, Meijer Gardens, and the Creative Blogger Award

In which I ramble about art and cameras and gardens . . .

Bonus points if you know why I used this particular gif ;P

So, I'm going to borrow a page from E. Rawl's book and combine a tag with another post. Very fitting, since she is the one who tagged me for this and ArtPrize is all about creativity! I'll list my five random facts throughout the post. And at the very end of the post, instead of tagging people, I'm going to list eleven of my favorite blogs - just in case some of you haven't heard of them.

First, a little bit about ArtPrize. For almost three weeks in the fall, you can see over 1500 works of art located in 3 square miles of Grand Rapids, MI. It's due to the independent competition called ArtPrize, which anyone can enter. That's right - any artist of any level or country, ages 18 and older, can enter to win hundreds of thousands of dollars. They do a much better job explaining it here, so click that link if you'd like to know more!

Intersections laser cut wood, Copyright Anila Quayyum Agha

From performance based art such as music, to modern sculpture and traditional ceramics, ArtPrize seems to garner just about every sort of art you could imagine.

For example, here's the piece that won last year (it is even more incredible in person!):

Intersections by Anila Quayyum Agha

Click the links above for more info, as well as the artist's thoughts/inspirations for her work.

By the way, this "box" is 6.5 feet by 6.5 feet . . . and intricately carved the whole way round. It's hard to explain just how incredible it is to stand in a giant empty room with it. The center light, as you see, projects the shadows and amplifies the patterns so you can appreciate just how amazing the carvings are.

This year's entries were no less diverse, from a quilted scene of Michigan forests to a peacock made out of scavenged silverware (not kidding). My phone kept dying on me, so I didn't get nearly as many pictures as I wanted (my normal camera is busted, unfortunately). Still, you can see a bit of most entries on their website.

"Triple Play" by Anni Crouter - Acrylic on Canvas

Random Fact #1 about Rebekah: I wanted to be Princess Jasmine when I was 5, just so I could have a pet tiger. (Don't ask how that made sense-I was 5)

Michigan Petoskey Stone by Randall Libby

The petoskey stone MI was incredible! At about 9 x 9 feet, it was also pretty big. The artist did all of the counties in Michigan, which was also very cool. I believe it is now the biggest piece of petoskey stone art existing.

Random Fact #2: My favorite color is burnt autumn orange. Followed closely by hunter green.

"Seasons" by Robin Protz

Ohhhh, this tree! I NEED IT. My camera just didn't capture how gorgeous it is though. It's all four seasons on a tree, made out of everything from spools to Christmas ornaments, all suspended from a frame to form the tree. I felt like I was in fairyland. (I was seriously enraptured by this thing. We practically had to drag me away)

Random Fact #3: My favorite book about "The Fair Folk," (or unconfirmed fairies!) is The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope. It's awesome historical fiction and you should read it.

"Vintage Dream" by Reagan Kazyak

This is a wearable dress made out of vintage storybook pages. I know people are divided on using book pages this way, but JUST LOOK AT THIS. I've always been interested in clothing construction and costume design, so this blew my mind. There are more close ups if you click the link.

Random Fact #4: Costume Design was one of the things I seriously considered doing with my life. I actually made all of the costumes for a friend's indie film!

"As Above" by Judith Braun

"As Above" 480 sq. ft Charcoal fingerprints on the wall at Grand Rapids Art Museum, for ArtPrize Seven, 2015

Those are all fingerprints. It makes me dizzy just considering this! If you went up closer, you could see the perfectly placed charcoal smudges. It took finger painting to a whole new level. Some people are so creative that I can hardly comprehend it.

Random Fact #5: The last charcoal artwork I did was a headshot of Elsa (Frozen, probably obvious) for my younger sister

So, my phone kept dying, and I didn't get many more pictures :(  However, since the ArtPrize site has A TON of photos, you should check it out. I'll finish off the ArtPrize segment with a picture of this intriguing statue that seemed to be looking at me . . .

"White Forest Project" by Oriano Galloni

Maybe someday I will have a working camera when I need it . . .

Bonsai!!

The Zen Garden.

Anyhow, after ArtPrize, we went to Meijer Gardens for the first time. It was absolutely gorgeous, and I can't wait to go back there and write. The highlight was the Japanese garden, which made me feel more at peace just after stepping into it!










Too beautiful. There was even a fellow watercolor painting on one of the paths. He had an easel and zero signs of modern tech on him. I really wished that I'd brought my notebooks. Or at least my sketchpad!!

If you click the Meijer Gardens link above, you can see a little bit more of some of the other things they do. We didn't have a lot of time, so we skipped plenty of stuff. There were conservatories as well, and several gardens we didn't make it into. The Children's Garden was especially cool - with tree huts that reminded me of Swiss Family Robinson, and the log cabin at left. And there were suspension bridges!!


So cool! And the pictures of the gardens were all taken by my younger brother, by the way. Didn't he do a nice job?

So I could bore you all day with garden pictures, but I promised to list off 11 of my favorite blogs (and follow E. Rawls too! because she would have made this list if she hadn't been the tagger!). They aren't all book blogs, but you should check them all out!

1. Alex Hurst - She's a fantasy author who lives in Kyoto. I'm super jealous. But her blog is awesome.
2. Sara Letourneau - a great blogger, fantasy author, and all around lovely person. Follow her.
3. Victoria Grace @ Stori Tori's Blog - She loves anime and she writes. And she's really nice
4. Christine @ Musings of an Elf - Another lovely writer who wants to be an elf. We need a club!
5. Aimee @ To the Barricade -  Snarky writer. And her blog name is a reference to LES MIS people
6. Alyssa @ The Devil Orders Takeout - funny and a ton of fun (and another author)
7. Skye @ Further Up and Further In - She runs the Beautiful People meme with Cait, and she writes
8. Elizabeth @ Inkspelled Faery - a published author with a fun writing blog (sensing a theme?)
9. Tracey Dyck - A Canadian author with a beautiful writing blog. She's full of good stuff :)
10. Kami @ Kami's Library Thoughts - She reviews everything from graphic novels to movies
11. Deborah @ The Road of a Writer - A writer/blogger who loves LOTR and Westmark!!

Whew! That was a long post. If you made it to the end, have a cookie.

September Revisited: End of Month Wrap-up with Art!

So - I wrote half of this post and then went to work, and after that, I went to ArtPrize.* 

Art was viewed, streets were walked (lots and lots of walking), and I didn't get home until 11pm, so no writing happened. So I am doing my wrap up on the first day of October. Happy October everyone!

September is over (*sniffles*) which means it's time for the Monthly Wrap-Up with Nicole at Feed Your Fiction Addiction. If you'd like to read more about it or link up (and read the other posts!), here's the link.

September wasn't as crazy as August, but I only managed 9 posts. It seemed like more work than that . . .?
September was also the beginning of fall (my favorite season), and contains Hobbit Day, but more on that later.

I finished with the intensive reading/reviewing program I was doing. I got to talk/chat with some authors via the internet, which was awesome, and I discovered a few really great books. My favorite one, Jakob's Colors, didn't make the final list (despite my lobbying and flag-waving), but I plan on plugging and reviewing it here soon.

Also, Fall TV is officially upon us. On that note, did anyone else watch the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premiere last night? I think the show is off to a strong third season start, and Leo Fitz is still the best.**

In other random news, I am almost finished reading all the way through Naruto.*** It will probably take me about 20 years to finish the anime though. Especially since I found out that Doctor Who season 8 is now on Netflix (and DW trumps everything). The BBC is much more logical about season lengths, I my opinion. They'll have 12-15 episodes, tops, and they're all 45 min (at least) long. It's like a miniseries every time. (Note, this does not apply to Sherlock, which needed more episodes to begin with).

So, other than ArtPrize (promise to take pictures when I go back on Friday!), and catching up on my reading, I didn't do much of note in September. So here's a quick post recap for you:

Tolkien Tribute:

In honor of Hobbit Day (September 22nd) I wrote about why I love Tolkien so much (limited myself to 10 coherent points). There were many quotes, and much sharing of feels. 

Beautiful People And Book Stuff:

I introduced Orlando, the secondary protagonist of my upcoming YA fantasy novel, Knight of the Blue Surcoat. And I drew a picture of him. He's a lovable fellow who likes horses and food, and accidentally makes enemies. He has devoted most of his life to bettering his older brothers at everything in hopes that his father will *finally* notice him.

For Beautiful People, I featured Luc, a secondary protagonist (and one of the main antagonists) of my WIP, The Last Coffee Shop. I think I can conclude that Luc's roguish ways and lying habit were not a turnoff, and we established that he is actually one of my favorite characters to write about. (To read about the Beautiful People meme, click here)

Book Reviews:

Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin was only my second 5 star review of the year. The book is fabulous and you should check it out.

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt was soul-crushing but beautiful. 4.5 stars.

I actually finished a lot of books in September, I'm just behind on reviewing them.

Top Ten Tuesdays:

Top 10 Characters I Couldn't Connect With (I had some unpopular opinions here, for sure, but I made sure to include funny gifs as a peace offering).

Top 10 Books You Should Read if You Like . . . where I made book mixes. I mean, recommendations.

Tags:

The Sisterhood/Siblinghood of World Bloggers - I was tagged by E. Rawls and Bogdana the Booknerd, and combined the post. Part I was a fun "Would You Rather?" and Part II was about "Reading Habits." I had fun answering all the questions, and added lots of gifs because I have a gif problem.****

I delved deep into the fires of my TBR pile for the TBR tag, also courtesy of Bogdana. More gifs ensued.

Since that is it for posts and since I have been in the art mood for weeks, I'll leave you with my (now) monthly collection of art discovered on my internet rambles: 

Disclaimer: All art is posted with full links and credits to the artist. It is used only to promote their fabulous artwork and I am making zero profit :) Cheers.

We'll start with this fantastic Little Red Riding Hood piece by Swiss artist Jade Mosch (ELK64 on Deviantart.com). It's called The Wolf and Me, and you can view it full size here.

Copyright Elk64 on Deviantart.com

I feel alone in the woods just looking at it! Mosch used watercolor and gouache. Stunning.

The next piece is by Burdge. Her art is a staple on Tumblr and Pinterest, and for good reason. She captures characters so well, and her art is just fantastic. And it's often adorable. That's a killer combo, so applause for her. This one is called "London Below," and it is fanart from Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.

Didn't Burdge capture them perfectly?! Copyright Burdge

And here is one that made me laugh. And I am really in a Star Wars mood: It's "all about that base" by Desiree Surjadi ( Shorelle on Deviantart.com). Be sure to check our her shop for more great SW art, Game of Thrones, and more.

Copyright Shorelle

Shorelle has a complete series of these (including this one of Anakin that is hysterical) in her Star Wars Gallery.

I will finish off with some of the cutest LOTR fanart I have ever seen. Korean artist Harmonia3784 manages to make the hobbits look like cuddly E. H. Shepherd illustrations.

Copyright Harmonia3784

See? So. Cute. It's like something you'd have framed on a nursery wall.

So that's it for September. October is one of my favorite months, so I hope it seems longer! I've got books to read, art to see, leaves to chase (I still do that), and a costume to plot (I work on Halloween=I'm allowed to wear a costume!). What are some of your October plans?

Footnotes:

*ArtPrize is a giant public art competition that takes place in Grand Rapids, MI. People from all over the world (and at all different skill levels) enter to win thousands of dollars. Half is popular vote, half is critic's choice, but there's not really anything quite like it. And it makes GR feel like a giant festival.

**Iain De Caestecker's (Spelling-Google) acting keeps getting better. And I love his character evolution! And the accent doesn't hurt anything. Just saying.

***At 72 volumes, it's no joke. And I think the inter-library loan people are scared of me now.

****